566 pages : 20 cm

Hourani covers not only political history, but also culture, society, economy and thought. This edition includes events such as the crisis in Iraq, the civil war in Algeria and the aftermath of September 11th

"Upon its publication in 1991, Albert Hourani's masterwork was hailed as the definitive story of Arab civilization, and became both a bestseller and an instant classic. In a panoramic view encompassing twelve centuries of Arab history and culture, Hourani brilliantly illuminated the people and events that have fundamentally shaped the Arab world. Now this seminal book is available in an expanded second edition. Noted Islamic scholar Malise Ruthven brings the story up to date from the mid-1980s, including such events as the Gulf War; civil unrest in Algeria; the change of leadership in Syria, Morocco, and Jordan; and the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks in the United States, ongoing crisis in Iraq, and renewed violence between Israelis and Palestinians all underscore the need for a balanced and well-informed understanding of the Arab world, and make this insightful history of the Arab peoples more important than ever."--Publisher description

"With an afterword by Malise Ruthven" -- Cover

First published: Faber, 2002. Afterword by Malise Ruthven, 2002

Includes bibliographical references and index

Part I. The making of a world (seventh-tenth century). 1. A new power in an old world -- 2. The formation of an empire -- 3. The formation of a society -- 4. The articulation of Islam -- Part II. Arab Muslim societies (eleventh-fifteenth century). 5. The Arab Muslim world -- 6. The countryside -- 7. The life of cities -- 8. Cities and their rulers -- 9. Ways of Islam -- 10. The culture of the lama -- 11. Divergent paths of thought -- 12. The culture of courts and people -- Part III. The Ottoman age (sixteenth-eighteenth century). 13. The Ottoman empire -- 14. Ottoman societies -- 15. The changing balance of power in the eighteenth century -- Part IV. The age of European empires (1800-1939). 16. European power and reforming governments (1800-1860) -- 17. European empires and dominant elites (1860-1914) -- 18. The culture of imperialism and reform -- 19. The climax of European power (1914-1939) -- 20. Changing ways of life and thought (1914-1939) -- Part V. The age of nation-states (since 1939). 21. The end of the empires (1939-1962) -- 22. Changing societies (1940s and 1950s) -- 23. National culture (1940s and 1950s) -- 24. The climax of Arabism (1950s and 1960s) -- 25. Arab unity and disunity (since 1967) -- 26. A disturbance of spirits (since 1967)

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